Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to location-based services, and more specifically to accessing location-based services, for example, location-dependent content.
Background Information
Location-based services are a field of mobile applications that leverage the ability of many mobile devices to determine their current location, and deliver services based on this location. The services may involve accessing location-dependent content, such as location-dependent functionality of an application, location-dependent streaming media, location-dependent data files, etc. For example, based on the location of the mobile device, a user may be allowed to play, or prevented from playing, a game, may be allowed to view, or prevented from viewing, a certain video stream, may be allowed to access, or prevented from accessing, certain data files, etc. In addition to accessing location-dependent content, location-based services may take other forms. For example, location-based services may involve providing location information to other devices, collecting location-based statistical information, or a wide variety of other types of operations.
Often, location-based services, and in particular location-dependent content, is not particularly sensitive in nature. While accurate location information may be desirable, the occasional use an incorrect location (for example, due to use of unreliable location indicia or intentional falsification of information (i.e. spoofing)) may be tolerated.
However, in other cases, location-based services may be more sensitive. In such cases, the occasional use an incorrect location may be unacceptable. Location-based services, and in particular location-dependent content, may be sensitive for any of a variety of reasons. One reason may be the need to comply with contract obligations or government regulations. For example, certain sporting events (e.g., National Football League (NFL) games) are contractually subject to blackout rules that dictate that a video broadcast of the event cannot be shown within a certain geographic area (e.g., 75 miles of the stadium) unless certain conditions are met (e.g., the stadium was sold out). Similarly, certain states (e.g., New Jersey and Nevada) allow online gambling subject to restrictions that online gambling activities are limited to within the geographic borders of the state. The use of incorrect locations may lead to violations of these sorts of obligations and regulations. Another reason may relate to security policies designed to minimize potential theft or improper use of confidential information. For example, a company may allow access to confidential corporate files from devices located within a certain distance of their corporate headquarters, but may attempt to prevent, or place other restrictions upon, access from far flung locations. The use of incorrect locations may be an unacceptable vulnerability under such security policies.
Previous location determination techniques for mobile devices have generally focused upon improving the average accuracy of the determined location, and have generally tolerated the occasional return of incorrect locations. While some existing location determination techniques may return an expected error, such an expected error generally just indicates the usual accuracy of the location determination method; it is not specific to a particular determined location and its likelihood of being correct. Further, such expected error generally does not account for, nor prevent, intentional location spoofing.
Accordingly, there is a needed for improved techniques for determining a location of a mobile device, which may be used with location-based services, and more specifically with accessing location-based services, for example, location-dependent content.